The Silence of the Lambs(1991)

Name: The Silence of the Lambs
Director: Jonathan Demme
Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Released: Feb 14, 1991
Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald

Orion Pictures

1h 58m

Release Date: Feb 14, 1991 | Wide

79%
90%
A-
8.6

Clarice Starling is a sharp, ambitious FBI trainee sent to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist serving life in prison for a series of murders. The Bureau needs his insight to help catch a different killer, one who has been abducting and murdering women. What follows is a series of carefully controlled exchanges between Clarice and Lecter, in which the line between getting information and being manipulated becomes increasingly hard to read. The film is a psychological thriller about intelligence, predation, and the cost of pursuing the darkest cases.

Releases

Original Release | Feb 14, 1991

35th Anniversary (Fathom Entertainment) | Apr 26, 2026

View Advanced Data Watch on

Box Office Results

Updated as of Mar 10, 2026 11:51 AM ET

All Releases (2)
Total US & Canada:
$130,742,922
Total International
$142,000,000
Total Worldwide:
$272,742,922

Total US & Canada:
$129,461,546
Total International
$125,425
Total Worldwide:
$129,586,971

Current Showtimes

orround

Wed Apr 29
Thu Apr 30
Fri May 1
Sat May 2
Sun May 3
Mon May 4
Tue May 5

Director & Top Cast

Jonathan Demme
Director

Jodie Foster
Clarice Starling

Anthony Hopkins
Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Scott Glenn
Jack Crawford

Ted Levine
Jame Gumb

Anthony Heald
Dr. Frederick Chilton

Brooke Smith

Catherine Martin

Diane Baker

Senator Ruth Martin

Kasi Lemmons

Ardelia Mapp

Charles Napier

Lt. Boyle

Tracey Walter

Lamar

Roger Corman

FBI Director Hayden Burke

Ron Vawter

Paul Krendler

Danny Darst

Sgt. Tate

Jeffrie Lane

Clarice's Father

Frankie Faison

Barney

Paul Lazar

Dr. Pilcher

Dan Butler

Roden

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby SR

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English,Latin

Summaries

Plot Summary

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American psychological horror thriller directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Ted Tally, adapted from Thomas Harris's 1988 novel of the same name. The film stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee hunting a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), who skins his female victims. To catch him, she seeks the advice of the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial murderer. The cast also includes Scott Glenn as FBI unit chief Jack Crawford and Anthony Heald as Dr. Frederick Chilton. Cinematography is by Tak Fujimoto, with a score by Howard Shore. Released by Orion Pictures on February 14, 1991, the film grossed $272.7 million worldwide on a $19 million budget and became the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year. At the 64th Academy Awards, it became the third film in history to win the Big Five categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Core themes include power, predation, ambition, gender, and the psychological cost of working in proximity to evil. The film is for audiences drawn to tightly constructed psychological thrillers and remains a benchmark of the genre.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who stars in the film?

Who directed and wrote the movie?

What is the movie about?

When was it released?

How did the film perform commercially?

Has the film received awards or recognition?

Has the film been submitted for major awards?

What themes does the film explore?

Fun Facts

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), assigned to interview brilliant cannibal psychiatrist Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) for behavioral insights on serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), who skins his female victims.